“Close contact”: Manager of European giants responds to rumours of interest in Tottenham star | OneFootball

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag addresses Toby Alderweireld links

Speaking to Voetbal Zone (h/t Football.london), Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has denied any interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld.

The 31-year-old Belgian international came through the youth ranks at AFC Ajax and went on to make 186 appearances for the club before leaving for Atletico Madrid in 2013. After a year in Spain, he spent the 2014/15 season on loan at Southampton before signing for Tottenham in 2015.

Since then, Alderweireld has grown into one of the most dependable centre-backs in the Premier League. Till date, he has made 217 appearances for us, bagging nine goals and five assists in the process. (h/t Transfermarkt)

Alderweireld signed a new contract with Tottenham in 2019, extending his stay at the club till the summer of 2023. But, that hasn’t stopped speculations linking him with a potential return to Ajax.

However, the Dutch giants’ manager, ten Hag, has dismissed such notions. The Ajax boss insists that the club stays in close contact with a host of former Ajax players, but that doesn’t mean that they are interested in signing them.

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Apart from Ajax, Alderweireld has also recently been linked with a move to arch-rivals PSV Eindhoven. However, given his importance in Jose Mourinho’s team, it is extremely unlikely that Tottenham would sanction a sale in the near future.